As roller skating with both double wheel and in-line skates has become more popular as an exercise, as a fun sport and even for commuting, the need for a more versatile suspension system has grown and intensified. The growth of the in-line skate market has accelerated this need. In-line skates enable and encourage faster and more challenging skating. In many areas, it is difficult to find a smooth skatable route which is long enough to satisfy an enthusiastic skater. Thus, skaters tend to endure rough roads and even to go off-road trail blazing to find the desired distance and challenge. Whether on rough roads or trail blazing, the rough bumpy terrain can be punishing to the skater's muscles and joints, and dangerous too. While attempts have been made to soften the bumps, especially in in-line skates, using softer wheels, springs and the like, no suitable solution has been provided. This problem presents a dilemma. If the suspension is soft or springy enough to absorb shocks, then it tends to be too soft or sloppy in the push-off mode and if the suspension is stiff enough to enable efficient transfer of push-off force, then shock absorption is poor. In many cases, the resilience in the suspension is provided by simple springs which do not truly absorb the shocks encountered on rough routes. A serious shortcoming of present skates is that they do not absorb well shocks from all directions--front, angled, and vertical, all of which can be encountered on rough and bumpy roads.